Just interested in thoughts on Swami vs BTD Menopause book.

My Swami, which knows I am in peri-meno and a non-secretor, has for instance, cod liver oil listed as a beneficial food.  The meno-book lists it as an AVOID for non-secreting type Os.  Right now, I'm leaning towards SWAMI as it takes into account many more geno factors than the books can cover. Cod liver oil has a very calming effect on me--which helps me get through my day in a good way...so I also lean towards listening to my body on this.  

Anyone else want to weigh in on this--does swami pretty much trump everything else in BTD?  Or does it all come down to special situations and managing symptoms, trial and error?

I am a believer in swami! It trumps, because it is individualized!

Sorry for the typo in the heading--thought I fixed it--but I don't know if that can be fixed, after the fact!  

Quoted from jayneeo

I am a believer in swami! It trumps, because it is individualized!

Agree!

Thanks ladies...I was leaning in that direction...but was advised to get the menopause book on this board--it's an interesting read and stuff I pretty much new, already--haven't finished reading it yet, so maybe there's something in there that will still be helpful.   If not, maybe I'll eventually give it away to a friend and all won't be lost...

I was following the BTD Aging diet before switching to Explorer awhile back. Just dug out my book to check the status of cod liver oil in there for you, thought SWAMI might be leaning you towards that diet, but it is an avoid for O non's in there too, so there goes that theory. Would be interesting to know the answer to your question, and why SWAMI thinks you need this food. You obviously know that you need this food, but how does SWAMI know?

Quoted from teri

but how does SWAMI know?

That is the beauty of the SWAMI.

I agree swami trumps all other books, because it takes into consideration more genes (genotype really) than just the gene affecting blood type.  I still think that these other books are useful, though, for the protocols for these health issues that are specific to your blood type.  This is an area that is seriously lacking in swami.  Swami should give you supplements to fix the health issues input into them when you select the 'give me all supps' option, but it completely ignores these health issues in the supp recommendations.

swami does take into consideration all your medical history......

letting food become our medicine!

also read the disclaimer on your swami express.....it is not meant to be a medical device, but a preventive means to health.

ofcourse we all know better, but we do have to agree

Quoted Text

Dr D
Problem is, the more specific you get, the more it becomes a 'medical device'.

Quoted Text

but how does SWAMI know?

this might answer your question teri

Quoted Text

The Science

The GenoType Diet is rooted in intense scientific study and analysis, bringing together genetic research and physical data from hundreds of individuals to create six distinct GenoTypes and
accompanying strategies to maximize each one's strengths and minimize weaknesses. In terms of methodology, GenoType characteristics were drawn from a variety of sources. First
and most important are the large number of published studies on the frequencies of genes in certain populations and how they relate to aspects of our health and physiology. Some of the
best studies are those on the blood types, but there are also good studies on other characteristics, such as the ability to taste certain chemicals and its connection with the metabolism. Many of the links between body measurements and the GenoTypes represented a fair amount of detective work, since a lot of this research was done in the 1940s and 1950s and is long out of print.  However, other types of physical measurements, such as the association
between leg length and childhood growth factors, or finger length and your prenatal exposure to certain levels of hormones, is as fresh as today's morning newspaper.

The second-biggest source of information was Dr. Peter D'Adamo's own collection of data. He wrote several computer programs that have collected and analyzed data from more than a thousand
individuals.  This project harvested information on fingerprint patterns, blood types, physical measurements, family history, and other health parameters and subjected the data to a type of
statistics called multivariate analysis.

Multivariate analysis, or the observation and analysis of more than one statistical variable, is a very holistic way of looking at information; it attempts to see the forest for the trees.
This method of statistics reduces complex multidimensional data sets to lower, simpler dimensions for easier analysis. We humans can't see all the relationships that may exist between disparate
parts of a table or study. Computers on the other hand, have a way of making commonalities much clearer.

Quoted from Andrea AWsec

That is the beauty of the SWAMI.

For sure, it's a beautiful thing. I'm lovin' it too (or going to love it soon). But that doesn't answer my question. The issue of trust has been brought up with this thread. robydoo seems to be unique in the way she is in tune with her body's nutritional needs without being emotionally tied to food. She can trust SWAMI on this one because she knows herself so well and she can instill trust in the rest of us because of it. But, for anyone else in a case like this, wouldn't it be hard to trust SWAMI without more information? Could it not be possible that there is a better source than cod liver oil for what she is needing? Or is this the best source of whatever she is needing and the benefits outweigh the risks?

PS. robydoo, sorry to speak in the 3rd person, just wasn't sure how else to put it.

Thanks, Lola! Yes, SWAMI is a very smart computerized program, getting smarter by the minute! But is it possible for it to become too smart for its own good?

PS. I don't really think that's possible, just a thought.

I was wondering about the GTD vs Arthritis book.  Some of the superfoods are avoids in Arthritis book.  This is what I did, since GTD is more specific than BTD which I believe the Arthritis book is based on I would just follow the GTD.  Can't say if one is better than the other, when I was following the Arthritis book & BTD, had muscle aches/stiff joints.  Went to GTD still have them, but seems better.

I will not get rid of the books either.  The beauty of the books is that they  provide information and clarification that for obvious reasons Swami cannot.  Also, Swami is as good as the data you put in, and the books will help us understand our bodies better in regards to the relationship with food and states of disease vs expected optimal health which will translate into us fine tuning and accurate inputing of data into Swami, so Swami can do its job for us.  

Well that is my issue with the osteoarthritis.

i told swami i have joint issues and he still recommends colby and manchego and other hard cheeses.

but it seems when i eat them, my thumb joints hurt.  (which btw) show no sign of osteoarthritis on xrays.  my chiro says its calcium build up in there.  so that's why maybe the calcium in the cheese hurts them..

thoughts?

Quoted from wwbailey

Well that is my issue with the osteoarthritis.

i told swami i have joint issues and he still recommends colby and manchego and other hard cheeses.
thoughts?

Are those organic cheeses? How much cheese do you eat and how often?  That has a lot of bearing when we are using food as medicine.  Like with any medicine good for us does not equal eating lots of it and organic is always best.  Do you use your other beneficial in the spices, condiments, sweeteners, carbs, proteins, live foods, fruits, proteins food groups?  

Quoted Text

is it possible for it to become too smart for its own good?

Dr D not only designed swami, but also controls its functions 100%!

Quoted from teri

For sure, it's a beautiful thing. I'm lovin' it too (or going to love it soon). But that doesn't answer my question. The issue of trust has been brought up with this thread. robydoo seems to be unique in the way she is in tune with her body's nutritional needs without being emotionally tied to food. She can trust SWAMI on this one because she knows herself so well and she can instill trust in the rest of us because of it. But, for anyone else in a case like this, wouldn't it be hard to trust SWAMI without more information? Could it not be possible that there is a better source than cod liver oil for what she is needing? Or is this the best source of whatever she is needing and the benefits outweigh the risks?

PS. robydoo, sorry to speak in the 3rd person, just wasn't sure how else to put it.

Teri, thanks for the thoughts and don't mind the 3rd person thing at all!    It's all an interesting dialog, here.  

I'm leaning towards SWAMI because it does know more and it keeps evolving, but it doesn't know everything...so we MUST listen to our bodies.  I am always listening, but always seeking more information, so I'll be getting the LR4YT book and anything else I can get my hands on for special protocols.  In the end, though we may have BT and GT similarities and pre-dispositions, we are still all individuals and slight alterations may be needed.

Thanks for all the advice and thoughts.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, the support here is AWESOME!    

I always try to make understood...*get tested * so you will have your instant results...your very personal instant results..... ......

Quoted from kauaian

I was wondering about the GTD vs Arthritis book.  Some of the superfoods are avoids in Arthritis book.  This is what I did, since GTD is more specific than BTD which I believe the Arthritis book is based on I would just follow the GTD.  Can't say if one is better than the other, when I was following the Arthritis book & BTD, had muscle aches/stiff joints.  Went to GTD still have them, but seems better.

While the books are great and point us in the right direction, if we want to experience more healing, I believe it's worth exploring more fully with the secreter status test and SWAMI, which is more personalized.  Even at that, we still have to consider the data, still based on somewhat limited information, then LISTEN to our bodies.  The more we learn, the better equipped we are to figure out what our bodies need.  

I believe it's also possible that in various stages of healing/detoxing our bodies may seem to react badly to a food that otherwise, would be good.  So some of those "good" foods that appear to be causing a problem now, may be fine once your body has achieved a higher level of health and healing.  I suspect yeast die-off may have a lot to do with seemingly "bad" reactions to things...making us think it's a particular food causing a problem, when we are actually giving our body something it needs to heal.  No medical knowledge here, just my own crazy thought process!  

For me, as my body heals and improves, I periodically re-introduce foods that I believed were causing a problem (beneficial foods, of course),only to be pleasantly surprised that they are no longer a problem.  There are so many variables that can affect how we react to food, that it's worth taking the time to experiment and listen to your body.  

That said, I'm fairly new to Swami, but it does appear to be more customized than anything in print could ever hope to be...I'm going with that for now and still researching and experimenting...in the on-going quest for better health!     The good news, is with Swami, we can immediately benefit from improvements to the program as it's updated. And, Swami did seem to know that my body loves the cod-liver oil, even though it is typically an avoid for type o nonnies!    I tend to run edgy and ramped up(sometimes bordering on anxious).  Cod-liver oil with my lunch is like a tablespoon of instant calm and focus that lasts all afternoon.  Gosh, I'm smiling just thinking about it...is it lunch-time, yet?     

I am hoping Dr. D will continue to add more variables...I do understand having to avoid becoming overly "diagnostic" for legal reasons...which is too bad.  Interesting that it's ok for standard medical practice (with more limited personal data on patient) to prescribe a multitude of very dangerous drugs with horrific side-effects that generally make our problems worse (my experience and that of other family members), but we have to be so careful about "diagnosing" with food...the world is truly upside down.  

Hey RD,
I agree.  We just keep on keeping on.  

care to add nonnie to your shield RD?

Quoted from Lola

care to add nonnie to your shield RD?

Thanks, Lola--in all the excitement, I forgot to add it!  It is there, now...

It looks nice Robydoo